After much negotiation with Ben Shrimpton, the publisher and co-founder of Plastique magazine, it was arranged that I was to start my internship on the 18th June. Exactly a weekend after finishing my GCSE examinations. I originally wanted to begin in July and carry out a month long placement, however, Ben explained that in July they would be half way through the second issue, and for my own benefit I should start as soon as possible.

Throughout the entire weekend that I had to celebrate my freedom from dreary school life, I continuously questioned whether the fashion magazine industry really is similar to what had been presented to us over the last few months. With films such as The Devil Wears Prada and hit American television show Ugly Betty there has to be some truth in it somewhere right?

The night before my early morning start I decided to organise myself. I choose to wear a black dress, that I had picked up from Primark the day before, a red belt around the waist and my favourite black cardigan that never fails to keep me warm (this being the period of summer that reflected cold, wet winter months). I thought I would try and keep it smart and simple; after all I didn't want to turn up resembling Andrea Sachs.

The Plastique office lies on the 3rd floor of 93 Shepperton Road, Islington. It is a small cosy office, painted white. The lower floor space has enough room to fit 6 large desks, allowing room to meander in and out of, along with packaged clothing and stacks of magazines. The upper floor, where the advertising department is based, is not shut off from the downstairs, allowing everybody to communicate easily with each other.

Overwhelmed to even be standing in the Plastique office, about to start my internship I didn’t care which section of the magazine I worked in, just as long as I gained the much-anticipated experience that I had been waiting for.

More from my internship diary next week…

Petrina De Gouttes